1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates generally to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems and more particularly to the design and construction of RFID tags used for tracking the assembly of various devices.
2. Background of the Invention
In complex manufacturing processes, such as the manufacturing of consumer electronics, hundreds or even thousands of parts are assembled to make a single device. It is important to track these components as they go through the manufacturing process. Often logs are used to track components using some form of serial number as they go through the manufacturing process; however, as smaller components get assembled into larger components and ultimately into the end device it can be difficult to continue tracking such components. Moreover, current logging systems can be disparate and difficult to correlate information associated with a specific component.
In certain situations, bar codes or other technology can be used to assist in tracking components as they are assembled in the manufacturing process. Thus, as a component comes to a new station from the manufacturing process it can be scanned, e.g., using a bar code scanner, and information related to the component can be tracked in an electronic database. RFID technology has the added advantage in that line of sight is not required to effectively scan an RFID tag being used to track a component. Even with RFID technology, however, it can be difficult to continue tracking components as they are assembled in the larger assembles because even though line of sight is not required, other components and circuitry can interfere with the ability to effectively read an REID tag once a component associated with the tag has been assembled into a larger device.
The inability to efficiently track components up to the device level hinders the ability to efficiently track information that can used to spot trends, such as the failure trends, to assist in servicing failed devices, and in keeping efficient inventory records.